Louisiana pays the Pelicans millions in rebates to employ NBA players

The New Orleans Pelicans receive a $3.65 million cash rebate every year from Louisiana—more than any other company—by counting its professional basketball players’ positions as newly-created direct jobs under the state’s Quality Jobs program, an economic incentive that’s supposed to encourage companies to create well-paid, full-time jobs for residents. In 2020, the Pelicans reported creating